01x09 : Justice
by Gabrielle Henson
Summary: [9th episode in a series] While visiting Portland, Faith and Tara are recognized by detective Elizabeth McKinley, formerly located in Sunnydale...
1. Teaser

_Disclaimer : Everyone knows who own Buffy and co ! Obviously, it's not me!_

_ The story is the ninth episode in a series called 'Rocky path' and begins around one year after 'Chosen'_

_( I strongly recommand to read the 8 first episodes to understand that one) _

_You can check the series out on my website  
_

_Please let me know what you think._

* * *

The sun had still not risen, but there were signs on the horizon that it would soon. The stars and the moon had disappeared and the blackness of the night sky was slowly being replaced by the wan light of the upcoming day.

Despite the early hour, a car was being driven down a little road winding its way between hills.

As usual, Faith was driving. The Slayer appeared to be focused on the road. Maybe she was daydreaming. It was hard to tell with her eyes glued to the asphalt in front of her. She occasionally blinked or sighed or put her elbow on the door of the car, but was mainly perfectly still.

Beside her, Tara was sleeping. The blonde witch had her right arm folded against the door and her head resting on it. Sometimes, she shivered in her sleep but it was far from the horrid nights she spent a few months ago when Faith and her had started to roam the roads together.

Faith wanted to open her window to get some fresh air but she stopped her gesture and glanced at Tara. It was chilly outside and the witch was rather sensitive to the cold. But the blonde was tightly wrapped in a thick blanket and Faith really wanted to open this window. She enjoyed the cool air of the morning. So, she turned the handle and opened the window slightly.

She deeply breathed in the fresh breeze caressing her face as the first glints of sunlight were now appearing in the distance. The road curved and a light smile crept its way to Faith's lips at the view now in front of her.

The Pacific Ocean was in sight and was lit by the yellow-orangey rays of the sun rising behind the hills.

"Look at this, Blondie," Faith breathed without turning to the blonde. "Neat, isn't it?"

Tara quivered at the sound of Faith's voice and grunted but she didn't wake. Faith smiled, amused. She opened her mouth to add something else but finally decided against it. Instead, the Slayer slowed down and parked the car at the roadside. She turned her head to her right and looked at the ocean past Tara.

"Look, Blondie," she repeated louder.

Tara shivered again and blinked several times before her eyes finally flickered open.

"Wh-what?" She asked, turning to Faith.

Faith grinned, widely amused by the witch's sleepy look.

"C'mon," she answered.

She opened her door and got out of the car. She walked to the right side of the vehicle and leaned against the rear door with her arms crossed over her chest to watch the beautiful bright colors of the dawn adorning the ocean. Beside her, Tara soon opened her door and got out in turn.

"Goddess, it's cold," she said.

"You should take the blanket with you," suggested Faith.

Tara did as she was told and wrapped herself in the blanket again before getting out of the car once more and closing the door. She leaned against the door near the Slayer and mimicked her stance. A few minutes passed by in complete silence before Tara finally spoke up.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"Between Seattle and Portland." Faith replied. "Closer to Seattle."

Tara looked satisfied with this answer and she fell silent again. Several more quiet minutes elapsed before Tara resumed.

"It's beautiful," she said simply.

Faith turned to her. The witch was smiling slightly and she looked peaceful as she observed the ocean in front of her.

"Was worth the early getting up, wasn't it?" The brunette asked and grinned.

Tara nodded thoughtfully.

"Yes, it was." She answered quietly. "It really was," she added after a pause.

"I grew up in Boston," explained Faith in a low voice after a time. "When I was a kid, I could see the Atlantic Ocean by the window of my room. I used to watch the sunrise all the time."

"You had to get up early quite often," Tara commented.

Faith shrugged casually.

"I didn't sleep much then either," she explained.

Silence fell again between them. They just remained there, gazing at the changing lights and colorations in the sky, reflecting over the water's still surface. Tara glanced at the Slayer from time to time when the brunette had her eyes seemingly glued to the horizon.

When the sun was finally risen and began to warm them up a little, Faith decided it was time to set off again.

"We going?" She asked, turning to the blonde.

Tara nodded and gave her a hint of a smile. Faith straightened up from the car door and was about to go back to the driver's side when Tara called her.

"Faith…" the witch whispered quietly.

The brunette turned around to face the blonde again.

"Uh?" She said.

"You have good moments." Tara told her. "You can be really nice."

Faith looked at her dumbfounded for a moment and Tara probably felt stupid or embarrassed because she looked down under Faith's scrutiny.

"Yeah, I guess," the Slayer eventually replied in an unsure voice.

"We really should go," she added in a firmer tone. "You're gonna catch a cold."

Tara nodded silently. Satisfied, Faith did the same and both girls reclaimed their places in the car.


	2. Act 1

Elizabeth McKinley crossed the threshold of the police station with two plastic bags in one hand and her handbag in the other. She was around thirty years old, rather tall, thin, blond, blue-eyed and beautiful. She was used to hearing she would have been better off as a model than as a police inspector. She had learned not to pay attention to those kinds of comments.

She hurried down the hall to the elevator and pressed the button impatiently. She usually arrived first at the office in the morning. But today, everything had gone wrong.

It began with her alarm clock ringing at three in the morning. Why did it ring that early? She didn't know. But she had a hard time getting back to sleep. Later, this meant she had a hard time waking when it was time to get up. The shower went well, but finding the clothes she wanted had been a quest. Then, she burned her coffee and had to make it twice before she could drink any. She probably should have given up at the second try, because when she finally had her cup full of good coffee, she spilled it on her blouse. So, she had to change her blouse and she still hadn't drunk her coffee.

When she was finally ready to leave, she noticed she had not seen her cat that morning. This was unusual: Lily was used to meowing loudly in the kitchen as soon as Elizabeth was up. So, she began to search for her in her apartment. As the cat wasn't answering her calls, she started to worry that she fell down the building from the balcony or some other horrible thing like that. She had finally found her sleeping peacefully in the linen closet she had left partially open the night before.

She should have known her car wouldn't start on the first try on a day like this. It was classic. For a moment, she feared she wouldn't be able to start the engine at all. But she finally succeeded after she had tried too many times for her to count.

An unusual traffic jam had been in order before she finally reached the police station. But it was her turn to get donuts for everybody. It was traditional and she wouldn't fail tradition. Better to arrive late than without the donuts. So, she had to go to the bakery on the other side of the street before finally entering her building.

That day wasn't about to be a normal one she thought. That was for sure.

When she finally reached the third floor and entered her office, all her colleagues were already there.

"Hey! Liz!" exclaimed a young man. "We were about to lose any hope of seeing you today!"

He was tall, dark-haired, tanned-skinned with big gray eyes. His face was round and smooth. He almost looked like a teenager.

"No chance Mark," Elizabeth replied, grinning.

Two other people were gathered in the room: a man in his late fifties and a woman around Elizabeth's age.

The man, John Roberts, was half-bald, middle-sized and lean. He looked severe, an impression only confirmed by the small glasses and the dark suit he was wearing.

The other woman – Marina Elfey - was a little shorter than Elizabeth, with short, brown hair. She was drinking her coffee and appeared to be highly amused by Elizabeth's desolate look.

"Hi boss," Elizabeth said, addressing the older man. "I'm sorry, I…"

"Not a problem McKinley," He interrupted calmly. "You're not that late and you've got the donuts. Everything's fine."

Elizabeth smiled and put the bags of donuts down on the table. Mark Khan considered the size of the two bags and whistled with admiration.

"Neat! You know how to be forgiven!" He grinned.

He stretched his hand to seize a donut but Roberts removed the bag from his reach.

"Take them with you," he explained, then added, turning to Elizabeth. "Attack in Kenton Park. We're going."

Elizabeth nodded and reached for the remaining donut bag but Mark was quicker.

"What kind of attack?" Elizabeth asked as the whole group headed for the door.

"Young people jogging in the park. They were attacked by a small group and robbed."

Elizabeth nodded again and the group disappeared into the elevator.

* * *

Policemen were already at work when they reached Kenton Park. An ambulance was parked in front of the park and many people were fussing around. After Mark parked the car, Roberts gave his orders to his team:

"McKinley and Khan, you two go to the crime scene and try to get anything useful. Elfey, go and talk to the victims and take pictures of their injuries. I'll talk to the patrol officer. Okay?"

Everyone nodded and the group split up, everyone going to his task. Roberts went to meet the police officer and asked about the statement of the attacked while Elizabeth and Mark Khan entered the park.

Marina Elfey headed toward the victims. They were sitting near the ambulance and medics were taking care of them. There were two: a boy and a girl probably around twenty years old. Both their faces and limbs were bruised. Marina came closer to the ambulance and waited patiently for the paramedics to complete their work. She stood a few feet away from the victims and looked around distractedly in the meantime.

The ambulance and the police cars were blocking part of the street which was now saturated with cars. Marina recognized the trademark impatience left by a traffic jam on the drivers' faces. She waited a few minutes before the paramedics were done with the young people and gestured for her to approach.

Marina complied and questioned both the victims about their attack before photographing their many injuries. She talked finally to the paramedics and left to meet her colleagues in front of the park's entrance.

Elizabeth and Mark were the last to come back. They both looked bored and defeated.

"No witnesses," announced Mark. "No one saw anything."

"There's nothing much to see in the park," added Elizabeth. "Traces left by a fight, trampled leaves. Nothing else."

Roberts nodded gravely.

"We're probably dealing with the same group as usual," he sighed. "Their description matches the other attacks."

"What now?" asked Mark.

"We're going back." Roberts answered. "The victims will come in a while to compare the identikit from the previous attacks."

* * *

"Whoa! " Faith exclaimed as she looked around her at the Portland towers through the car's windows. "Been a while that we haven't gone through a city this big!"

"You avoided all of them since we left Cleveland," remarked Tara quietly.

Faith grinned widely and shrugged.

"Was good to see some country, wasn't it?"

Tara nodded and smiled.

"You missed town?" the witch asked.

Faith laughed a little at this.

"Well," she began. "Kinda." She finally admitted.

"I don't know exactly why, but I'm not surprised." The blonde grinned, turning to Faith.

"Ouch," The Slayer grumbled a minute later. "Well, here's one of the reason I liked the country."

Tara turned back to the road and saw a long line of cars stopped in their lane.

"Traffic jam," voiced the witch philosophically.

"Great!" Faith groaned, rolling her eyes.

She slowed down and finally stopped the car behind the lineup.

"Great," repeated the Slayer. "It'll take us hours to cross town."

"Well, it's not like we've got things to do." Tara said.

"Speak for yourself." Faith replied. "I've been driving for hours, I won't say no to a shower. And I need to find a job to get some money if I wanna have some fun around here."

Tara bent at the window to try to see in the distance if something specific was slowing down the traffic.

"Then, be happy," she told Faith. "It will be over soon. There's probably an accident or something, I can see policemen over there."

"You can see the cops and you're telling me to be happy?" Faith asked ironically. "You're kidding me, right?"

"What?" Tara asked blankly.

Faith rolled her eyes and started the car as the line advanced slowly again.

"How to put this?" Faith tried to explain. "When will you remember that I am a wanted fugitive?"

Tara shrugged and bent slightly at the window again.

"Don't be so nervous," Tara said in a soothing tone. "They're not here for you. They seem to be pretty busy."

"What happened?" Faith asked, craning her neck to see the roadside.

"An accident I think." Tara replied. "There's an ambulance too."

"Try to be discreet Blondie, I really don't want to have a run in with the cops."

"I'm discretion itself." Tara assured.

"Then, stop watching them like that." Faith said. "You look like the perfect criminal to me."

"The perfect criminal wouldn't look at them like this," Tara countered. "And not looking at them at all is what YOU are doing by the way."

Faith rolled her eyes and Tara chuckled.

"Okay, you're right." The Slayer admitted. "Look at them as much as you want then."

"Show's over," Tara said, sitting back straight onto her seat. "Look, road's clear now."

"Cool," Faith nodded and sped up again.

"See?" the witch added. "They really don't care about you."

"Yeah, let's hope it'll last." Faith replied casually.

"So, where do we go?" the witch asked as Faith accelerated to pass the car in front of them.

"First, we find a cheap motel. Second, we settle down and shower. Then, I'll try to find a job while you…"

She wavered a second and gestured vaguely.

"Well… I guess you'll get some more sleep?"

"I have to admit I feel a bit tired." The blonde answered.

"See?" Faith grinned. "I knew it!"

"Wasn't too hard," Tara said with a grimace.

"Right," admitted the Slayer.

They fell silent for a moment and Tara looked down at her fingers linked together.

"Well…" she began eventually. "I w-was thin-thinking…"

She kept quiet, cursing silently her stammer.

"You're were thinking?" Faith repeated distractedly.

"Well, maybe we…" Tara resumed. "May-be we c-could stop by a boo-bookshop."

Surprised, Faith turned to the blonde.

"Wanna buy some books?" she demanded.

Tara nodded timidly.

"If you d-don't mind."

"Well, as long as you're not buying some expensive first edition, I think we can afford a book or two." Faith answered, turning back to the road.

Tara's face lit up and she nodded with enthusiasm.

"No first edition, I promise."

"Well then." The brunette replied. "I'll stop when I see a bookshop. Okay?"

"Perfect, Faith." Tara responded. "Thank you."

The Slayer faced the witch again and smiled.

"S'no big, Blondie." Faith declared. "S'no big. We should find one on our way."

* * *

"Got something new about our perps?" Mark asked as he entered the office, a bag of donuts in his hand.

This room was larger than the one where the team had met in the morning. There was a big round table in the center and several desks against the walls were covered with computers and other electrical peripherals.

Marina was bending over the table in the center. Upon hearing Mark's voice, she looked up from her task and shook her head.

"Nothing," she answered. "By the way, I'm not really searching, I'm just classifying the photos in the dossier."

Mark Khan went to the table and glanced at the amount of photos spread on the table.

"What a wonderful job you got!" He emphasized. "Those damn photos won't ever be useful anyway," he added in a disgusted tone.

"They'll be useful for the victims." Marina replied calmly as she went on with her duty.

"God, look at this!" She added asecond later, gesturing at a particular photo in her hand. "Those guys really worked that couple over."

Mark came closer and looked distractedly at the photo Marina handed him.

"Yeah." He said simply.

He put the photo back down on the table and sat on it to Marina's disagreement. He was about to take a donut from the bag but Marina stopped him.

"Mark, in case you didn't already notice, I'm working." She scolded him. "Move your ass."

"Easy, Elfey!" Mark said as he stood. "I'm moving."

Roberts and McKinley entered the room at that precise moment.

"Hey guys," Elizabeth said. "It's time for lunch. We were thinking about getting Chinese, the one on the corner."

"I'm not sure Mark needs to go for lunch!" Marina declared ironically, indicating the bag the young man was holding and the donut still in his hand.

"Don't be mistaken," he protested. "I can use a good Chinese meal."

"I bet!" Marina concluded.

Roberts went to her side and looked at the photos still lying on the table.

"Are you done?" He asked.

"Nearly," Elfey answered.

"There're just a few remaining to classify." She specified.

Elizabeth came to join them and glanced at the photos in turn.

"I'll help you finish." She suggested.

Marina smiled gratefully and pointing to the right side of the table.

"The photos from the boy." She explained.

Elizabeth nodded and started to gather the photos.

"Well, you took shot after shot of them." She chuckled.

"She's hard at work." Mark commented.

"Yeah." Marina said and rolled her eyes.

"So, did you notice something interesting?" asked Roberts quietly.

"No, I didn't…" began Marina.

"But I do." Interrupted Elizabeth suddenly.

The three others turned to her as one.

"What?"

"Here." Elizabeth replied, pointing at two photos she was staring at.

Her three colleagues went to her side and looked at what she was showing them.

"What?" repeated Mark.

Elizabeth put her finger on a car in the background. A dark-haired girl was driving with an obvious pout on her face.

"I know that girl," Elizabeth explained as her finger traced the photo to finally rest on the girl's face.

"Wonderful!" Mark exclaimed cheerfully. "And who's that? Lemme guess: your sister? Your cousin? Maybe your…"

Elizabeth shook her head and the serious look on her face was enough to make her friend stop rambling. She appeared to focus on the girl's face, seemingly searching to recall exactly who the girl was, what her name was.

"Who's that?" Roberts asked after a silence.

"Faith." Elizabeth replied finally. "She's Faith Lehane."


	3. Act 2

**  
**

"She's Faith Lehane." Elizabeth stated.

She looked up from the photos and saw that her three colleagues were staring at her blankly.

"Faith Lehane?" Mark repeated in a dubious tone, with a wide grimace on his face. "Who the hell is that?"

He turned to Marina and John with a questioning expression.

"Do you know her?"

Marina shook her head. John for his part, frowned heavily and appeared to think about the question for a moment.

"That name reminds me of something…" he said.

He leaned against the table and put his chin between his thumb and index finger.

"Hum… Faith Lehane…" he repeated slowly.

"She's a murderer." Elizabeth explained.

John's face lit up with recollection.

"I remember," he said. "A young murderer in California, a few years ago."

"Yeah," nodded Elizabeth. "Sunnydale. She…"

"Sunnydale?" Mark interrupted. "That town that collapsed suddenly last year?"

"If I remember correctly, that's where you come from Liz?" Marina asked.

"Right," Elizabeth acquiesced. "I worked there for years. I worked on her case."

"I thought she had been arrested?" John asked.

"She had been," confirmed McKinley, before shaking her head. "Well, in fact, she turned herself in."

"And?" Asked Mark, still looking dumbfounded at Elizabeth. "What's the thing with her? What's the story?"

"Shebrutally murdered two guys," McKinley told them. "She killed Deputy Mayor Allan Finch with a wooden stake and then savagely stabbed Professor Lester Worth. She was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison."

"Obviously, her sentence was shortened!" Snorted Mark.

"She escaped a year and a half ago, " added John Roberts. "A spectacular escape from the LA prison. I'm surprised you didn't hear about her. It was all over the television"

"I was in Chicago a year ago," explained Marina in an apologetic tone. "I guess it was more a fuss on the west coast than over there."

"You remember the story well," Roberts said, turning curiously to Elizabeth again.

The blonde nodded with a half-smile on her face.

"I wasn't sure at first that it was her." She explained. "But it's coming back to me now. Everything. It was a hard story."

"What d'you mean, a hard story?" Mark asked.

Elizabeth grabbed again one of the photos where Faith could be seen and stared at the brunette's face for a moment. She recalled that time – five years ago – when she was a detective in Sunnydale, remembered fragments of Faith's history.

"Y'know," she told her colleagues. "She was just seventeen at the time. The girl was quite unstable. No family. No friends. Completely screwed up. I attended her trial. No one came for her."

"God, you sound like you pity the girl?" Mark questioned, unbelievingly.

Elizabeth McKinley shrugged casually.

"She was so young." She replied. "I'm sure a good lawyer could have spared her some years of prison."

Mark couldn't help but laughing at that.

"Well, she didn't need a lawyer if I believe what we see in this picture," He sniggered, gesturing to the photographs.

"Looks like she helped herself," Marina added.

"Anyway, it seems we have a bigger problem at hand than our little park gang," declared Roberts. "That young woman is a wanted fugitive."

Roberts wavered for a second, then added:

"Well, at least will be again when we'll report we saw her."

Faced with Mark's questioning expression, Elizabeth specified:

"She's been seen in Sunnydale around the time the town collapsed. As we totally lost track of her after that point, we thought she might be dead."

"Which, obviously, she's not." Mark said.

Silence fell over the room for a moment before Marina spoke up.

"So, what do we do now?"

"We have to take care of that." Roberts answered. "We have to find her before she disappears again."

"Great," Mark exclaimed almost enthusiastically. "Some action will be good."

"Believe me; you don't want to have some action with her." Warned Elizabeth. "She's one hell of a fighter."

Seeing Mark's dubious face, she stated:

"She's dangerous."

Mark's expression didn't change and got even more unsure.

"She's just a girl." He countered.

McKinley shrugged and her face hardened.

"No, she's not."

Khan saw the change on Elizabeth's face and raised his hands in a defensive gesture.

"Easy Liz." He grinned. "I'm just saying…"

"McKinley is right," Roberts interjected. "The police had a hard time with her in Sunnydale. She's no ordinary woman."

"Exactly," Elizabeth approved.

"So how do we proceed? She may have crossed town already."

"The road where we saw her is under video surveillance." Roberts declared in a firm and commanding tone. "Khan, get the recording. We'll try to see where she headed. Elfey, contact all the motels around and try to find where she spent the night or if she booked a room for tonight. McKinley, find her file. I'm calling the FBI."

The girls nodded and were about to leave the room when Mark called out:

"What about the Chinese?"

Roberts tapped his shoulder as he passed beside him.

"Forget about Chinese, Khan. We've got a wanted fugitive at hand. We'll go get Chinese another day. Get to work."

Mark sighed and displayed a defeated look.

"Damn girl," He breathed.

* * *

"Here's our new palace!" Exclaimed Faith as she opened the door of the motel room.

She pushed the door open to let Tara enter first and then followed her inside. The room was as small and as basic as usual. A bed, a dresser, a table and two chairs. Pale yellow walls. Nothing more.

"Not so much with the palace," Faith said, rolling her eyes with disgust.

She threw their bag casually on one chair and plopped down heavily on the bed.

"You know what we should do one day?" She asked.

She crawled onto the bed until she sat against the wall and she stretched her legs.

"Tell me," Tara answered quietly as she sat on a corner of the bed.

"We have to make a plan to get some money and we should book a room in a real palace." The Slayer declared and she stressed the word real before nodding with satisfaction. "Don't you think?" She added then.

Tara smiled at Faith's enthusiasm and approved.

"If you want," she replied.

"Good," the brunette answered.

The room fell silent for a few minutes before Faith got up.

"I'm gonna grab a shower," she explained. "Then I'm gonna scout around and see if I can find something to do that pays."

She went to the chair where she left the bag. She opened it and began to search for something.

"Well, Faith…" Tara began tentatively. "May-maybe I can co-come with you."

"To what? To the shower?" The brunette smirked.

As Tara rolled her eyes with annoyance, she added:

"Finding a job?" Asked Faith in an incredulous tone.

The witch nodded hesitantly. Faith stopped rummaging in the bag and looked at Tara.

"Well, Blondie…" she said in a gentle and somewhat embarrassed tone. "Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have more money to live in better places than this." She gestured around. "Or to do fun things or to get better meals or whatever…"

"But," she went on in a firmer voice. "I don't know your skills or anything but I'm not sure…" She faltered a second. "You're really ready to have a job." She finished.

She fell silent and waited for Tara to react. As the witch didn't say anything, Faith resumed:

"D'you get it?"

Tara grimaced a little but acknowledged the Slayer's assertion with a nod of her head.

"Maybe later Blondie?" Faith suggested.

Tara nodded again.

"Okay." She replied simply.

"Okay then," Faith said and her previous embarrassment vanished. "I'm going to the shower."

She left and Tara remained alone. She looked around the room, and then went to the window. She contemplated the view outside. They were on the second floor and the window overlooked the highway.

The witch drew the curtains. Then, she returned to the bed, opened it and got herself ready for a nap.

* * *

John Roberts entered the office where his three colleagues were sitting around a table, everyone appearing to be busy.

"So, what do we have?" He asked.

They all looked up from whatever they were doing to face their boss.

"Got her file," Elizabeth began, waving said file.

"Impressive by the way," commented Mark.

"Khan?" John questioned as he went to the table. "Find something?"

"Yeah," He answered. "We reviewed the recordings of the roads. She went south."

"We followed her trail," Mark went on. "She's been seen in a bookshop. Apparently, she wasn't alone."

"Not alone?" Repeated Roberts.

"Yes," replied Elizabeth.

She took one of the pictures from the morning and showed it to John.

"We can see there's someone with her in the car," she said. "A blonde girl, I'd say, but the picture isn't really clear."

John grabbed the picture and looked closely at it.

"Blonde girl," repeated Elfey. "The bookshop owner confirmed that point."

"Any idea about her identity?"

Elizabeth shook her head and gestured vaguely to a pile of sheets in front of her.

"I combed through her file and found nothing matching the description," she sighed.

"From what I read, she hadn't many friends back then," Mark said.

"Well, a long time's passed by since then. She probably made new friends." Elfey remarked.

"Did the blonde young woman looked like she was with her willingly?" Asked Roberts.

"Uh?"

"According to the bookshop owner?" Roberts specified.

"He didn't say much, but to him, they looked to be friends." Marina explained.

Roberts nodded and put the photo down on the table.

"Something else?"

"The car," Marina said. "A Mr. Rupert Giles is registered as the owner. He's British. Lived in Sunnydale too. Now located in Cleveland."

"We're trying to contact this man," added Elizabeth.

"Also from Sunnydale?" Insisted Roberts. "That's probably not a coincidence."

"Probably not," approved Elizabeth.

"Do you know him?"

Elizabeth shrugged and first shook her head, then nodded.

"Not clearly," she replied. "But I'm sure I heard that name before. I just can't place it."

"We found nothing about him," stated Marina. "What about you boss?"

"I called the FBI," he answered. "They were really interested. A team will be here tomorrow night."

"Wonderful!" Mark exclaimed mockingly.

"We'll have make to do with them, Khan." Roberts said. "I'd like to have something consistent to tell them when they get here."

"The roads are under surveillance. We've put out an APB on her and the car. It's just a matter of time before we know where she's gone." Elizabeth said.

"Good," approved John Roberts. "We have to get prepared then. Let's try to learn everything we can about the woman."

* * *

Thirty or so police officers were gathered in a room, listening attentively to their boss giving them instructions. They were all wearing bulletproof vests, helmets and weapons.

"You have to remember that this woman is dangerous. Don't trust her appearance. She's way stronger than she appears to be."

"She probably won't surrender. She's not known for using guns but almost certainly knives and hand-to-hand. Avoid fights with her. If she runs away, don't run after her. The area will be totally sealed off. She can't escape. So, don't take any risk."

"Team A is armed with tranquilizer guns. Don't hesitate to use them. She'll probably need a very high dose before she goes down"

"Team B will be comprised of our SWAT unit, they will intervene unless there is an emergency, we want to take her alive if at all possible"

"Everything clear?"

A vague approval echoed in the room and the sergeant nodded to his troops.

"We know she has returned at the motel. Be ready. We're leaving now."

In the back of the room, Roberts and his team were attentively attending the meeting.

"What do you think McKinley?" Roberts asked.

"It's a good plan," Elizabeth answered. "Sergeant Millen followed my lead. They won't repeat the mistakes we made back in Sunnydale. She can't escape."

"The operation has been set up quickly," remarked Marina. "Just a few hours since she's been reported in that motel."

"I knew her case quite well," explained Elizabeth. "I knew how to proceed with her."

"You're the best Liz!" Mark smirked.

"It'll work," McKinley replied.

"I have no doubt about that," he answered. "With such means and such a plan, she's helpless."

The police officers started to leave the room. Elizabeth waited for all of them to leave and followed.

"Where are you going?" Roberts asked when he saw her going after the others.

"I'm going with them," she explained.

"You don't," Roberts retorted firmly. "It could be dangerous."

"I want to be there," she insisted. "The operation is good. There's no risk for me."

"You're the first to say she's dangerous."

"She is. Or at least she was," McKinley replied. "But I have to be there. Its part of my past and as you know, most of it is buried under the ground. I don't know… If something goes wrong, I want to be there."

Roberts wavered seeing Elizabeth's determination.

"Please," she pleaded.

"Okay," He gave in. "But I'm coming with you to be sure you'll stay in the back."

"That's a deal," she said with a grateful smile.

* * *

Faith entered the motel room and closed the door behind her. Tara was sitting on the bed and reading a book. She looked up from her reading when she heard the Slayer coming in.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Still in that book?" Asked the Slayer. "God, you've been reading that crap for hours!"

She went to the bed and plopped down on the mattress beside the blonde.

"It's not crap," Tara said quietly. "It's ma-magic."

"Yeah," Faith smirked.

Tara closed her book and put it aside before turning to the brunette.

"So, how was your day?" Tara asked. "Find something interesting?"

Faith rummaged through her pockets and produced some bills.

"Well, I wasn't about to use interesting as a word, but I did find something which brought me a few dollars." She said with a roll of her eyes.

She got up and went to the window she opened slightly. She got her pack of cigarettes out of her pocket and lit one before leaning against the wall. She puffed on her smoke and gazed outside as the sun started to decline.

Tara glanced at the money and smiled shyly.

"That's a start," she stated gently.

"Yeah," replied Faith.

She puffed again and silence fell over the room. Tara took back her book and resumed her reading without paying attention to Faith anymore.

She was so focused in her book that she didn't notice the change in the Slayer's stance a few minutes later. The brunette tensed up and her eyes narrowed. She crushed her cigarette on the windowsill and threw her butt out before closing the window.

"Blondie," she called. "Get up."

Tara looked up and frowned at the Slayer's tone.

"What?"

"We have to leave," Faith ordered.

"What?" Tara repeated.

Faith came back toward the bed and started to gather their belongings.

"The cops," she said. "They're here."

Tara closed the book and got up. She watched Faith hurrying around and remained motionless by the bed, not knowing what to do.

"What?" She repeated after a moment.

"They're being deployed around the motel," Faith explained quickly. "We have to move fast."

"Are y-you su-sure?"

"Yeah, " Faith replied simply.

She shut the bag, threw it over her shoulder and slid a knife into her belt.

"A-are y-you s-sure that's the b-best th-thing to d-do?" Tara asked.

"I won't go back to jail. Not again," Faith answered. "We have to move fast," she repeated.

Tara grabbed her book and slipped her shoes on.

"I…I…I…I'm co-coming…"

Faith stopped at the door and stared at the witch. The blonde looked frightened and she tried to lace her shoes with shaking hands.

"Stay here," Faith said suddenly.

Tara looked up and frowned.

"Wh-what?"

"Stay here," Faith repeated in a firmer tone. "I don't want you to come with me."

"Why?"

"It could be dangerous. If it turns ugly, I don't want you to be with me. The cops tend to be nervous around me. Having you targeted by the cops is not part of my mission with you."

Tara opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out. She tried again with no more success. Faith hesitated seeing the witch's distress.

"Just stay here, I'll come to get you later." She told her.

Tara didn't answer nor had any reaction. She was just staring at Faith with obvious anguish on her face.

"Don't worry Blondie, I'm gonna come back."

She put her hand on the handle and turned round to Tara again and threw her mobile phone at her.

"If I don't, call Giles."

With this, she opened the door and exited into the corridor. It was dark and silent. Faith waited a second for her eyes to get used to the darkness. She got discreetly away from the room and headed toward the back of the building.

She reached the end of the corridor and opened the back door slightly. She looked outside and tried to determine if any police officers were settled at the side of the building. She noticed nothing suspect. She hesitated about what to do.

A grove was fifty or so feet from the back of the motel. Maybe she could reach it without being spotted. She leaned back against the wall and breathed heavily.

"God…" she whispered.

She knew the police was there for her. Even if she had no clue how they knew she was here. The murderer she still was knew when the police were after her. She had to move fast before they surrounded the building. If it wasn't already.

She opened the door and went down the stairs quickly and silently. At the bottom of the stairs, she listened carefully. No sound except the background noise of the highway. She looked around. Nothing in sight.

She walked along the motel wall for a dozen feet and finally started to run toward the grove. Immediately, the noise she was afraid she would hear rang at her ears.

"Faith Lehane! Stop immediately! Hands up!"

A few feet before the grove. Faith didn't stop. She felt suddenly a violent pain in her left calve.

"You're surrounded! Stop immediately!"

Faith saw figures stepping out of the shadows. Many, many figures. Two of them were just in front of her. She punched them so quickly they didn't have time to react and to raise their weapons. She passed them and entered the grove. Another shot of pain, in her back this time, slowed her down. Faith felt suddenly dizzy. She staggered and put her hand on her back. Once more, she felt something hurting her back. She blinked and fell to her knees.

"Faith Lehane, you're under arrest!" She heard a strong male voice yelling beside her.

Then, she felt hands seizing her arms, reuniting them abruptly and handcuffs closing onto her wrists. She wanted to struggle but she had no strength left.

"We've got her!" Someone shouted.

"What about the other one?" Another voice asked.

"We've got her too!"

Faith tried to listen but her consciousness faltered. Voices melted into a discordant background noise. She tried desperately to keep her eyes open but there was nothing she could do. She felt weak and her efforts were in vain. She finally passed out as two men dragged her motionless body toward the motel.


	4. Act 3

_November, 2000 – Los Angeles, California_

_Elizabeth McKinley hurried along the silent courthouse hallways. She glanced at her watch for what felt like the hundredth time in the last hour. She hadn't expected the traffic on the way to LA to be so bad. She didn't go to Los Angeles often and forgot each time how big and crowded the town was and how much time was needed to reach the courthouse._

_Luckily she had planned on leaving Sunnydale early, so she still had a chance to make it in time if she found the damn hearing room._

_She sighed with relief when she finally found it and saw the doors still open._

"_Thank God," she whispered and a light smile appeared on her face._

_She advanced to the main hallway of the court and sat as close as possible to the witness stand. There weren't many people present for the trial. She looked around and the only person she recognized clearly was Alan Finch's widow. Other faces were rather familiar and she supposed they were LA detectives she met briefly after Faith Lehane's surrender. One of them – a blonde woman whose name Elizabeth didn't remember – acknowledged her entrance with a quick nod. Elizabeth politely answered._

_Less than two minutes later, Lehane and her lawyer – a very young man- entered the room. McKinley watched her coming in, closely escorted by two police officers and she found the brunette changed. Maybe it was because of her clothes. For the first time, Elizabeth was seeing her wearing something other than a tank top and leather pants. Maybe it was because she had no make-up. Maybe it was because of the dark rings under her eyes. Obviously she wasn't getting much sleep lately. _

_She was seventeen but she looked much older. These last months in jail had stolen the last hint of childhood away from her._

_Faith sat at her place without looking at anyone. She didn't appear to look for a familiar face in the crowd. As if she knew she would find none. _

_Elizabeth looked around and examined each face in the courtroom. The only expressions she found were either indifference or anger. Nobody was sorry or worried about Faith Lehane. _

_The trial discreetly recalled that fact. No family, no friends, no relatives of any kind. She couldn't be more alone than she was, thought Elizabeth. Despite the fact that Faith once broke the jaw of one of her colleague, she couldn't help but feeling sympathy toward the girl. _

_The trial went quickly. Faith Lehane had confessed to every single charge against her and the only testimony in her favor was the one from the police inspector explaining how the girl had turned herself in. Her lawyer spoke a little about her age and her past but he obviously didn't feel very concerned about what would happen to her. Elizabeth thought he was either inexperienced or really inept. _

_Faith appeared detached, as if she wasn't even there. She hardly said a word during the whole trial. She answered a few questions with half phrases and refused to elaborate on her past. She just said she was sorry for the two men she killed. _

_The sentence came down on the second day of the trial. Twenty-five years in prison. When the judge pronounced the verdict, Elizabeth believed she could see a light smile or a light grimace on the usually so expressionless brunette's face. She wasn't sure of what she saw. The change of feeling was too discreet and too fast to clearly see what it expressed. _

_Elizabeth felt almost sad for the girl. Seventeen, a voice was screaming in her head. She had to recall the horrible wounds on Alan Finch and Professor Worth corpses to put away that feeling of compassion toward the young murderer. _

_When the guards stood her up to take her away, McKinley saw Lehane turning round and nodding slightly to someone in the back of the room. She turned and only caught a glimpse of the back of a tall dark-haired man leaving. _

_Her attention returned to Faith and she watched the retreating figure of the young girl until she left the room. _

_Elizabeth got up. She glanced at Alan Finch's widow speaking with the District Attorney and noticed they both looked satisfied. Mrs. Finch nodded at her when she recognized the detective and McKinley waved briefly back. _

_She left the courtroom and took the road back to Sunnydale._

* * *

Elizabeth McKinley paced the room nervously with a cup of coffee in her hand. Mark Khan and Marina Elfey were there too, each of them sitting at a table and looking at Elizabeth with an amused smile.

"You should sit down Liz," Marina said. "They're going to come back."

"You said everything went well, keep cool." Mark added. "Why are you so worried?"

"I'm not worried," replied Elizabeth.

"She's not worried," confirmed Marina.

"So what?" Mark asked. "What's the matter with you?"

"She's impatient," Marina explained. "Impatient to interrogate her." She specified.

"Then, you'll have to grin and bear it," Mark said.

"Why are you saying this?" Asked Marina.

"They shot her three times." Mark asserted as way of an explanation.

As Marina arched a questioning eyebrow, he clarified:

"Three times! She's not going to wake up soon!"

"They shot her three times before she finally passed out," interjected Elizabeth. "She'll wake up way sooner than you think."

Mark shrugged.

"That's not human."

"What about the other girl?" Marina asked.

"I didn't see her yet," McKinley replied. "John's with her."

"Detective McKinley?" Asked a new voice.

Elizabeth turned to the door where a young policeman was now standing.

"Faith Lehane is awakening," he announced.

Elizabeth looked at Mark and grinned.

"See?" She said. "Way sooner."

Elizabeth followed the young man along a corridor to the next room. He opened the door for her and she immediately went to the one-way mirror in the back of the room.

Behind it was a small interrogation cell. There was no window, just one door, a bench, a table and three chairs. Elizabeth froze by the mirror and stared at the room behind it.

Faith Lehane was lying on the bench. She blinked several times and tried to sit. But her gestures were slow and uneasy. Her fingers scratched the edge of the bench and she wanted to lean on her arms but they failed her. Faith fell back heavily onto the bench.

"She's still under the effects of the sedatives, isn't she?" McKinley asked.

"Yes," replied the policeman. "You told me to warn you as soon as she's awake, so I came when I saw her opening her eyes."

For a few minutes Elizabeth observed the brunette struggling to sit without succeeding.

"You were right to come," she said. "But I don't think I can interrogate her now. She's not ready yet."

She stood motionless, examining the figure of the brunette. Four years had passed since Elizabeth saw Faith for the last time on the occasion of her trial. She had changed quite a bit in the last few years. She looked calmer, less angry than she was at that time. She had obviously given up the provocative attitude. No more make-up. No more tight tank top. No more leather pants.

"Why the hell did she escape?" She whispered.

Mark's voice interrupted her train of thoughts.

"McKinley, Roberts wants to see you."

She turned round and saw Khan standing in the doorway.

"The blonde girl with Lehane," he explained. "Apparently she lived in Sunnydale too. Roberts wants you to come and see if you know her."

She nodded and went to the door to meet her colleague. Before leaving, she turned to the young policeman.

"I'll come back later," she told him.

"I'll come to get you in a while if you want. Maybe when she's able to sit?"

Elizabeth watched Faith again and paused.

"We can't let her recover too much," she asserted. "Call me as soon as she's showing signs she's better. Understood?"

"Perfectly, madam." The young man answered.

With that, Elizabeth followed Mark outside.

Mark led McKinley to another interrogation room. Marina was there and greeted them with a smile.

"So?" Asked Elizabeth.

"She doesn't look like a murderer or anything," explained Elfey. "We found nothing much about her. She said she met Lehane in Cleveland a few months ago and they've been traveling together since then. But she lived in Sunnydale too. Maybe you know her?"

Mark and Elizabeth went closer to the one-way mirror. Behind it, the blonde girl arrested with Lehane was facing John Roberts. She was pale and looked tired and frightened. She obviously wasn't used to this kind of situation. Elizabeth looked closely at her and shivered.

"I know that girl," she said immediately.

Mark and Marina turned to her eagerly.

"Another murderer from Sunnydale?" Mark asked.

Elizabeth shook slowly her head.

"No, " she replied. "A murdered."

Mark and Marina exchanged a curious glance and Mark narrowed her eyes at Elizabeth.

"What?" He asked.

"A murder victim." Repeated McKinley as she moved even closer to the mirror. "I remember her very well."

"A murderer and a murder victim together?" Mark said. "How weird is that?"

"Did she know Lehane?" Marina asked.

Elizabeth frowned and shook her head.

"I don't think so. But maybe."

"You remember her name?"

"Yeah," answered Elizabeth. "I do."

* * *

_May 2002 – Sunnydale, California_

_Elizabeth McKinley was sitting at her desk, writing something quickly on her computer. Night was falling but her window was open as the weather was beautiful during the day. She looked up from her task upon hearing quick footsteps in the hallway. A young blonde man appeared in the doorway._

"_McKinley," he called. "Gunfire on Revello Drive this afternoon. A girl was killed."_

_Elizabeth rose immediately from her chair and followed her colleague._

"_What happened?" She asked._

"_I don't really know." The man answered. "The morgue called."_

_Elizabeth rolled her eyes._

"_Wonderful."_

_They exited the police station and got in a car. The drive to the morgue lasted just a few minutes._

"_Elizabeth McKinley, police," announced the blonde, waving her police badge at the reception desk. "You called us."_

_The woman at the reception desk gestured to her right. _

"_Third room on your left," she pointed. _

"_Thank you," Elizabeth said. "C'mon Charlie."_

_They headed where the receptionist told her to go and knocked at the third door before coming in. A man greeted them and gestured for them to follow._

"_We received the body of a girl who was shot," he explained._

"_Do you know what happened?" Elizabeth questioned._

_The man nodded as he led them down the morgue. He stopped in front of a drawer and put his hand on the handle._

"_We collected the corpse on Revello Drive," he told them. "A guy came and shot another girl in the backyard. Apparently, he fired randomly as he run away. She was not even targeted."_

_He pulled the drawer out to reveal the corpse. The body of a young blonde woman appeared. Elizabeth came closer and examined the pale face of the girl. A slight grimace of pain was still imprinted on her face. The inspector's eyes traveled along the body and rested on the mark on her chest. She winced with disgust._

"_A stray bullet, uh?" She asked. _

_The coroner nodded. _

"_God," breathed Elizabeth, shaking her head a little. "Shot through the heart by a stray bullet."_

"_Friends of hers saw the shooter," the coroner said gently, noticing Elizabeth's frown. "You will catch him."_

"_We will," confirmed Charlie. _

"_What's the complete address?" He asked immediately, pulling a notebook and a pen out of his pocket._

"_1630 Revello Drive," the man answered. _

"_We're going there now," the policeman said. "Have you seen everything you wanted McKinley?"_

"_What's her name?" The blonde demanded._

_Elizabeth didn't wait for an answer and moved from the side of the body to the top of the drawer. Her fingers traced the letters on the identification tag stuck on the drawer._

"_Tara Maclay," she whispered quietly, reading the name._

_She glanced one last time at the blonde's face, then at the tag and finally nodded. _

"_We're done here," she said. "Let's go to Revello Drive."_

* * *

John Roberts exited the interrogation room, leaving Tara Maclay alone. His three colleagues were waiting for him. He closed the door and Elizabeth McKinley victoriously waved a dossier at him.

"Looks like you found something," he said with a smile.

"I did," she answered.

"So, what did you find?" He asked.

Elizabeth opened the file she held and consulted a few sheets.

"I found this at home," she explained. "I recalled I kept copies. I worked hard on that case."

Her attention drifted away from John for a second as her eyes traveled over the documents in front of her.

"Well, I don't know exactly why, but it left its mark on me." She resumed, her eyes lost in the distance.

John took the files Elizabeth handed to him and quickly looked over them. When he reached the end, he grimaced slightly.

"There's something wrong here." He said.

"What?"

"Tell me about that case you worked on," he asked, waving the files at McKinley.

Elizabeth shrugged casually.

"Quite simple in fact," she said. "A Buffy Summers lived in Sunnydale, on Revello Drive. Tara Maclay was a friend of hers. That day, she was at the Summers' home in a room upstairs while Summers was in the backyard. A guy called Warren Meers suddenly barged into the backyard and shot Summers. He was angry at her for some obscure reason. From little we learned, she prevented him from committing a hold up the day before. He was furious and came to kill her with a gun he bought the same morning. After shooting Summers, he ran away and shot randomly behind him to cover up his runaway. A stray bullet killed Tara Maclay."

Elizabeth fell silent, trying to remember the details from that time and case. She didn't add anything but Roberts hadn't heard enough.

"And?" He pressed.

"And what?"

"What happened next?" he specified.

"Buffy Summers miraculously survived. Maclay died," Elizabeth said in a monotone voice.

"What about the murderer?" Marina questioned.

Elizabeth sniggered bitterly at the question.

"We never found him." She replied dryly.

The room fell silent and Elizabeth stared at Tara behind the mirror again.

"You sound pretty upset," John finally said.

"I was, " Elizabeth answered immediately. "Meers was suspected in other crimes but he never went that far. The girl was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. It was unfair."

She fell silent for a second again and turned away from Tara.

"And you know… her friends looked really messed up when we first talked with them after she died. I worked like crazy to find Meers. But no one – no family, no friends –ever came for an update on the case."

"Well, maybe now you know why." Mark suggested.

"What'd you mean?"

"Well, obviously she's not dead," the young man answered.

"Or she's not Tara Maclay." Suggested Elfey.

"What did she tell you?" Elizabeth asked, turning to John.

"Not a lot," he replied. "She said her name is Tara Maclay, that she met Lehane in Cleveland a few months ago. She didn't clearly answer when I asked if she knew she was a murderer. She confirmed she lived in Sunnydale for a few years."

"You should talk to her," he added after a silence. "You lived there, you know the story. Maybe you'll see when she's lying."

"Okay," Elizabeth answered at once.

She took back her files from Roberts and entered the interrogation room without another word.

* * *

Tara jumped slightly as the door opened and she looked up to see who was coming in. Elizabeth thought she looked like a deer caught in headlights. The inspector sat in front of Tara and put her files in front of her. She settled them carefully and tidily before looking Tara in the eye.

"So, I'm Detective Elizabeth McKinley." She introduced herself in a calm voice. "And apparently you're pretending to be Tara Maclay."

Saying this, Elizabeth looked closely at Tara and she noticed the blonde shivered.

"Are you Tara Maclay?" She asked.

The blonde shyly nodded her head.

"I-I am," she stammered.

"Where were you born?"

"Mi-minne-nesota," she stuttered again.

"Name of your father?"

"Donald Robert Maclay," Tara answered in a low voice.

"Where did you go to college?" Elizabeth asked again.

"UC Sunnydale, Cali-california." Her voice was tired and low.

"Date of birth?"

"October, sixteen, 1980."

"Date of death?"

Tara opened her mouth to answer something but she closed it when she realized what the question actually meant.

"Wh-what?" She asked.

Elizabeth leaned in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. Her face hardened and she stared silently at Tara for several minutes. The blonde looked uneasy and tried to avoid McKinley's cold gaze.

"I lived in Sunnydale too," Elizabeth suddenly told her. "I was a detective there. And guess what? I remember clearly investigating the murder of a blonde girl called Tara Maclay."

Tara shivered and wrapped her arms tightly around her chest.

"I…I…I'm n-not d-dead, " she tried miserably.

"Which is a surprise," resumed Elizabeth. "If you really are Tara Maclay."

She got up and paced the room until she reached the mirror before coming back toward Tara.

"So, tell me," she said. "How did you do it?"

She abruptly put her palms on the table and Tara jumped at the sudden proximity. Elizabeth then grabbed one sheet from her files and handed it to Tara.

"'Cause I remember seeing your corpse at the morgue," she enunciated coldly. "I remember the blood on the carpet. I remember talking to your friends. I remember that case very well, Miss Maclay."

"Y-you m-must b-be mis-mistaken…" whispered Tara so low that Elizabeth hardly heard her.

"Look at this," McKinley resumed in a harsh voice, sliding a sheet under her eyes. "Read this."

As Tara didn't move at all, Elizabeth took other sheets from the pile and pushed closer the one she put in front of Tara.

"The morgue report, "she explained, gesturing to the piece of paper under Tara's eyes. "And here," she waved the sheets in her hands. "Your friends' interviews."

She read a few lines on the first sheet of paper.

"Here is Dawn Summers, fifteen at the time," she emphasized. "Discovered the body first in the upstairs bedroom," she read. "Said the body was lying in a pool of blood."

She stopped and looked at Tara again. The blonde was paler than she was before. She was curled up on her chair, chewing nervously on her bottom lip, her fingers fidgeting nervously against her arm. Elizabeth was sure she wanted to disappear. She put down that sheet on the table and resumed with another one.

"Buffy Summers," she announced. "Didn't say much. The guy Meers appeared, showed his gun, shot many times. Didn't remember anything else until she woke up at the hospital later."

She turned the page and went on without a glance for Tara.

"Alexander Harris. Was with Summers when Meers came and shot her. Couldn't do anything to stop him. Called an ambulance. Didn't know Tara Maclay was in the house until he came back later with Buffy Summers and found Dawn Summers with the body."

She put down these sheets on the table and read the last one.

"And the best for the end, of course," she stressed, looking at Tara closely. "Willow Rosenberg. Didn't say anything at all. Post traumatic shock. Our psychologist considered she was too shocked to answer the interview."

Elizabeth stopped and put the last piece of paper on the table in turn. She again put her hands on the table and bent toward the blonde. She looked Tara in the eye. The blonde was shaking violently despite her best efforts to control her body.

"W-why a-are y-you t-telling m-me th-this?" She managed to stutter after a long silence.

"We found no record of Tara Maclay being dead, " explained Elizabeth in a calmer but icy voice. "But I remember seeing you in that drawer at the morgue. I remember talking to your friends. I remember looking for Warren Meers for months."

She stopped. Possibly to breathe. Possibly for dramatic effect.

"And now," she resumed. "You're here. All safe and sound. Traveling with a very dangerous, convicted murderer."

"She's n-not dan-dange…" began Tara in a trembling voice.

"Don't make matters worse," Elizabeth interrupted. "You're in no position to lie even more."

"I-I did-didn't do any-anything wr-wrong…" Tara defended herself.

Elizabeth stood straight and took half a step back.

"We'll see," she said. "We'll seewhat you're doing with Faith Lehane. We'll see why you're alive when you're supposed to be dead."

Tara looked up to her and appeared to gather all her courage to ask straight:

"Is it a crime to be alive?"

Elizabeth looked destabilized for a split second but she regained her composure quickly and eventually shrugged and snorted:

"Sometimes it can be."


	5. Act 4

Elizabeth observed Faith for a few moments from behind the one-way mirror. The brunette looked to be doing better. She managed to sit, although she needed to steady herself against the wall behind her. Her wrists were tied together, just like her ankles. She looked tired. Elizabeth drank a mouthful from the cup of coffee she held and turned to Roberts, standing beside her.

"So?" She asked. "Anything new?"

Roberts shook his head and shrugged.

"Marina and I interrogated her while you were with Maclay. She didn't say a word except to ask about Maclay. I don't think we'll get anything from her before the FBI team arrives."

"Anyway, there's not much we need to learn from her. She's a fugitive. We recaptured her. That's the most important fact," He added.

Elizabeth nodded and swallowed another mouthful of coffee.

"What about Maclay?"

"We don't have any reason to keep her here. She's clean. And she's not officially dead. If it weren't for you, there's no trace of what happened in Sunnydale. Are you sure…"

"I'm sure it was her," interrupted Elizabeth. "I saw her body at the morgue. I was just talking to her face to face. It's the same girl. I don't know how she did that. Maybe she faked her death for some reason. But it was her."

"Everything about it has disappeared McKinley, and…"

"What about the copies of the interviews I kept?"

Roberts shook his head.

"It's not enough."

Elizabeth didn't reply. She finished off her coffee and put it down on a table on her left.

"I'm going to talk to her." She announced.

"Okay," Roberts nodded. "Be careful. If you feel she's getting stronger, ask the doctor to give her more sedative."

"Don't worry boss," she answered. "I won't take any risks. Plus, she's quite tied down right now."

"You know what she can do. She threw herself through bullet resistant glass. It's damn near impossible. I don't think those restraints will hold her."

"Don't worry, I'll be careful. And you will be here." She grinned.

With that, she left Roberts alone and entered the interrogation room.

* * *

Faith looked up when she heard the door opening. She had no particular reaction. She just stared with indifference at Elizabeth approaching.

"God, someone new," she hissed when Elizabeth was close enough to hear. "Everyone's gonna come and see me?" she snorted.

"You're quite a phenomenon you know," Elizabeth replied. "Everyone wants to see the girl who threw herself though bullet resistant glass and survived a thirty meter fall."

"Looks like I've got my own fans," Faith smirked.

Elizabeth went round the table, seized a chair and turned it around before sitting.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked.

Faith looked at her blankly and winced.

"D'you think I'm stupid?" She spat, her voice mixed with anger and weariness. "If I tell you I'm good, you're gonna drug me even more."

"Smart thinking," acknowledged Elizabeth.

She remained silent as Faith tried to steady herself and waited a few moments to see if the girl was going to say something. As the brunette casually looked around, taking care to not pay attention to her, McKinley spoke up again.

"Why did you escape?" She asked.

Faith turned to her and raised a questioning eyebrow. Before she could answer, Elizabeth explained:

"Well, you turned yourself in, you looked to regret your actions and to want to redeem yourself. So, I'm asking, why did you escape? Did you change your mind?"

Faith couldn't help but snigger and she rolled her eyes when she replied.

"Well, like prison was SO fun,"

"So you changed your mind?" Elizabeth repeated.

"Let's say I had better things to do," Faith shrugged.

"What for example?" Asked McKinley coldly.

"Hum…"

Faith mocked hard thinking for a few seconds before she finally answered.

"What could be more interesting than being locked in jail?" She said in an ironic tone. "That's a hard question for sure."

"Will you answer?"

As Faith remained mute, Elizabeth knew she had her response.

"Okay, you know that you're not doing anything to improve your case?" McKinley asked in an exasperated tone.

Faith shrugged once more and narrowed her eyes at the detective.

"Can I really do something to improve my case?" She demanded in a harsh tone.

"Do you want to?"

Faith shrugged and shook her head in annoyance.

"Let's say there're other ways to dispense justice than yours," she said.

"Oh God, you were trying to dispense justice!" Exclaimed Elizabeth in an ironic tone.

Faith shrugged again and looked away with a scowl of contempt on her face. Elizabeth waited for her to go on but Faith remained silent. Seeing the stubborn look on her face, Elizabeth understood she wouldn't get more from the brunette and she decided to change the subject.

"So, talk to me about Tara Maclay,"

Faith winced and looked questioningly at her.

"What about her?"

"What is she doing with you?"

"What's weird with that? I'm nice,"

Elizabeth felt an amused smile forming at the corner of her lips but she suppressed it before Faith could notice. She was about to say something but Faith interrupted her.

"God, you've got a double murderer and you're asking about the shy silent girl. Are you sure you're a detective?"

"She's supposed to be dead," explained McKinley without reacting to Faith's remark. "Did you know that?"

"Believe me, she's really very much alive…" Faith snorted.

She leaned back against the wall and looked away with a bored grimace.

"There's nothing to say about her," she said, finally looking again at Elizabeth. "We met in Cleveland, she doesn't know anything about me. You have no reason to keep her here."

"That's our decision to make." Elizabeth answered back icily. "A supposed dead girl traveling with a wanted murderer? Gives us some reason to wonder what's going on."

"Nothing's going on."

"So, you're pretending she has no idea who you are?"

"Yeah," Faith replied, boringly. "I already told that to the guy before."

She looked away again and Elizabeth stared at her closed face and her bored pout for a few moments. She knew she wouldn't get anything from the brunette. She got up and put the chair back in place.

"Where is she?" Faith asked suddenly as Elizabeth was about to leave the room.

"She's being interrogated just like you," she answered.

"I want to see her," Faith asked. "Want to make sure she's okay" she clarified.

Elizabeth frowned and shrugged. Faith was looking at her all differently than before. Her previous smugness was gone. She only looked worried.

"I'm not sure…"

"Please," Faith insisted.

Elizabeth winced. This was a surprise. She wasn't expecting Faith to change all that much all of a sudden.

"I'll see if that's possible," she answered after a moment of internal debate. "But you're going to get more sedative before."

Faith's face crumpled a little but she didn't answer anything at first. When she noticed that Elizabeth was waiting for her to say something, she simply said:

"Let's see."

* * *

Elizabeth and Mark were closely flanking Faith, as the brunette was slowly walking along a hallway with her wrists and ankles still tightly restrained.

"I'd walk faster without those," she said after her silence, her voice bitter.

"We don't want you to run away," replied Mark. "Apparently, you run terribly fast."

"You drugged me," Faith shot back in an angry tone. "I'm not sure I'd be able to run at all."

Mark shrugged casually.

"Got orders," he said.

"I bet," grumbled Faith.

They covered the remaining distance in silence and stopped in front of a regular cell. Inside, Tara got up from the back of the room where she was curled up on a bench.

"You've got a visitor, Maclay," Mark smirked.

Elizabeth opened the cell and pushed Faith inside. She closed the cell back as soon as Faith crossed the threshold.

"Good night girls," she said just after. "You've got the night before the sun rises and the FBI gets here. Get some sleep."

She and Mark then turned around and went away down the corridor. Before the cell disappeared from her sight, Elizabeth glanced quickly at it and saw Faith dismissing Tara's offer of help.

"A-are you o-okay?" Tara asked when Faith finally sat on the bench of the cell.

Faith leaned back against the wall and deeply sighed before answering.

"Five by five Blondie," she grumbled and rolled her eyes. "I'm having a lot of fun right now."

Tara looked away a second and bit her bottom lip.

"I'm so-sorry," she breathed without looking at Faith.

Faith turned to her surprisingly.

"Sorry?" She asked. "Why are you sorry? It's not your fault Blondie."

"I shouldn't have looked at the cops like that this morning," Tara explained. "You told me and…"

"It has nothing to do with that," Faith interrupted. "We were at the background of a crime scene picture. And guess what? We have to come across a former cop from Sunnydale who recognized me. I call that being terribly unlucky." She finished in a defeated tone.

Tara felt obviously relieved.

"She recognized me too," she whispered.

"Yeah," confirmed Faith. "She asked many questions about you."

"They asked many questions about you too," Tara replied.

"What did you say?" Faith queried.

"What we agreed on if we ever ran into the cops."

"Good," approved Faith.

They fell silent for a moment before Faith turned to Tara. She examined her tired face for a moment and gently said:

"They will release you soon y'know, they've got no reason to keep you."

"I guess…" Tara nodded slightly, seemingly lost in thoughts. "But… What about you?" She added after a silence.

Faith shrugged and her face crumpled a little at the question.

"I guess I'll be back in jail," she said. "If I'm not sentenced to death."

"Oh!" Tara exclaimed, horror appearing on her tired face. "They won't do that." She added quickly. "You will just be sentenced for a few years more…"

Faith shrugged and grimaced.

"Wonderful," she answered bitterly. "But don't worry, I'll escape before that happens." She added and tried to smile.

She tried to get rid of her bonds but she was still too weak to succeed. She sighed in despair.

"Those bastards drugged me," she explained as Tara was looking curiously at her. "I don't know what they gave me but I felt weaker than ever before." She said bitterly. "But I'll escape no matter what."

"How… what are y-ou go-gonna do?"

"I'll wait until my transfer to wherever they'll send me," she explained. "I'll pretend to be still under the effects of the drugs and I'll break out of the vehicle when they don't expect me to."

"What if they drug you all the time?" Tara asked shyly.

Faith shrugged.

"They can't drug me 'till the end of time," she said.

But her voice didn't sound really convinced. She looked more defeated than she wanted to appear. Tara looked at her in silence for a few seconds, turned to the locked door of the cell, then to Faith again.

"I can help you," she finally said.

Faith arched a skeptical eyebrow at the blonde.

"How?"

"I'm a w-witch," Tara explained. "I can do a sp-spell to open the door and make us invisible or something…"

Faith stared at Tara in disbelief.

"You can do that?" She asked in a dubious tone. "Don't you need ingredients or something?"

"Well, most of the times I do," Tara explained. "But some spells can be done without any and some powerful witches would be able to do certain spells without ingredients when I would need some."

She fell silent and looked at Faith with a light smile on her lips.

"I read some spells earlier at the motel," she went on. "I remember them very well. And you know, I've been practicing witchcraft since I'm little. I'll use simple tricks."

"You know you're talking about doing something very illegal?" Faith asked.

"I know," Tara answered.

"Well, I thought you had some sort of rules: like not using magic for personal interest or something like that." Faith said.

She had expected Tara to backpedal or at least to hesitate. But the witch simply nodded with a serious look on her face.

"First, it's not for personal interest, it's for you," Tara asserted. "Second, I should be dead, so what's a little spell against this huge bug in the natural order?"

Faith couldn't help but grin, highly amused by the witch's seriousness and way of thinking.

"God," she exclaimed. "Don't tell me I had a bad influence on you, B will kill me when she finds out."

Tara frowned, confused.

"What?" She asked.

"Buffy," Faith clarified.

"Oh," Tara laughed. "She's not that bad you know!"

"Yeah!" Faith replied, raising her eyes to the sky, obviously not convinced.

They fell silent again, staring at each other for a few seconds.

"You're talking about taking a huge risk," Faith said. "I'm not sure I can let you do something like that."

"Faith," interrupted Tara firmly. "You've been taking care of me for months. It's time I do something for you."

Faith gazed at Tara silently once more, assessing the witch's resolution.

"Okay," she finally said, since Tara's will wasn't softening. "What about beginning with this?"

She stretched her handcuffed wrists to Tara and the witch smiled.

"That'll be a good start," she replied.

* * *

"It can't be serious boss," Elizabeth exclaimed, a hint of anger in her voice.

She was with John Roberts in his office. The man was sitting behind his desk, a severe frown on his face. He just hung up the phone and didn't look happy with whatever had been said.

But it was nothing compared to Elizabeth. The blonde stood in front of her boss and had a hard time hiding her anger.

"How is that possible?" She asked in a pressing voice. "We can't let this happen."

Roberts grimaced and shook his head.

"I understand your feelings McKinley," he said. "I know you're upset. That's a lot for you to deal with."

"There must be something to do," Elizabeth resumed.

"We don't have a choice." Roberts replied. "The orders are clear."

"What about the FBI?" Asked Elizabeth. " I though a team has been sent here."

"This is coming from high up." Roberts explained. "We just have to obey."

"God," Elizabeth whispered. "You know we may not have this chance twice?"

He nodded but didn't acknowledge her words.

"Just do it," he said. "Then, we'll all go home. It's been a long day and a long evening."

Elizabeth bit her bottom lip in frustration. But she knew she had no choice.

"Okay," she gave in. "I'm going."

She reached Faith and Tara's cell a few minutes later. She opened the door and found both girls standing inside. They both heavily frowned when McKinley appeared in the doorway. The detective was too upset to notice that Faith had her wrists and ankles free

"Major surprise girls," she said in monotone voice.

"What?" Asked Tara hesitantly.

"You're free to go." Elizabeth announced bitterly.

Faith and Tara exchanged a curious glance at that assertion.

"What?" Faith repeated in an unbelieving tone.

"Believe me; I'm as surprised as you are." Elizabeth said. "But you're free."

Faith and Tara looked at each other again, obviously having some trouble to believe what they heard.

"You must have powerful friends," Elizabeth added in a harsh voice. "Get out now."

Tara glanced at Faith and the brunette shrugged.

"Let's go," she said.

They exited the room and followed Elizabeth leading them down several hallways up to the building entrance.

"So?" Tara asked shyly. "What…"

"You're free," repeated Elizabeth. "There's no charge against you. Just go."

With that, she turned on her heels and went away without another glance to her former prisoners. Tara pushed the door open and both girls left the police station. It was pitch dark outside.

"What was that about?" Faith asked.

"She didn't look really happy to let us go," Tara commented.

"Yeah," Faith approved. "We have to be careful until we know why they…"

"You will not have to wait long for that, Faith," declared a new voice.

Faith turned sharply to her left and found herself face to face with a smiling Giles.

"Giles!" She exclaimed.

"Good evening, girls," he greeted them casually.

"Mr. Giles," Tara smiled warmly at him.

"I'm glad to see the two of you are looking quite well," he said.

"Are you responsible for this?" Faith asked, gesturing vaguely around her.

"Actually I am," Giles replied.

"How did you know?" Faith asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Well, hum…" he coughed a little to clear his throat and suddenly appeared to be a little embarrassed. "I have to admit I was a little worried about you two, then…"

"God," interrupted Faith. "You spied on us."

"Well, I wouldn't say that Faith," Giles calmly replied. "I just had people of mine watching over you two…"

"Watching over us!" Faith repeated, rolling her eyes. "You didn't trust me?"

"Of course I did!" Giles answered severely. "I was just concerned that this sort of thing might happen."

Faith arched a skeptical eyebrow but remained silent.

"Well, I parked my car over there," Giles said, gesturing behind him.

"And?" Faith asked.

"I thought we could spend a moment together," Giles explained.

Faith stared at him, dumbfounded.

"What?" She asked.

"I think it's a gr-great idea," interjected Tara. "We could have a snack together. We didn't eat anything since lunch. I'm starving."

"And now she's starving," Faith snorted. "It's been a weird day."

"What do you think Faith?" Tara asked, grinning at her.

"I guess I can use something to eat," the Slayer admitted.

"Wonderful," Giles began.

"If you're paying G-man!" Faith smirked.

"Well, I should have known you would add a clause like that," he sighed. "Let's go then."

* * *

Giles and Faith were alone at a table in a good restaurant of a Portland hotel. Tara slipped away to the restroom near the end of the meal, leaving them alone.

"So," Faith asked hesitantly. "Did you talk to her when I was ordering?"

"Yes, I did," Giles replied. "I'm happy to see she looks a lot better than the last time I saw her."

"I think she is," Faith approved.

She fell silent and looked down to her spoon she was distractedly playing with.

"Is there something you want to ask Faith?" Giles quietly demanded.

"Well," Faith began. "I guess you asked her if she feels like going back to Cleveland with you?"

"I did actually," he replied.

"Yeah," Faith commented.

She didn't add anything at first and waited for Giles to speak. But the older man continued drinking his tea silently.

"So," Faith asked finally in a detached tone. "What did she decide?"

Giles removed his glasses and started to clean them with a piece of cloth in his trademark way.

"Umm," he answered. "To quote her 'being with a pain-in-the-ass Slayer is better for me than being around Willow right now...'"

Faith smirked and got up. She turned round, gestured vaguely to point at herself. When she faced Giles again, she offered a highly amused smile.

"Well, you can understand why," she chuckled.

Giles interrupted his gesture as he was raising his cup of tea to his mouth and looked at her blankly. Faith grimaced and she rolled her eyes before sitting again.

"Okay, obviously you don't," she concluded.

Giles frowned and stared at her for a few seconds but he didn't ask what she meant.

"I booked two rooms for you in this hotel," Giles finally said.

"What?" Faith asked. "I don't need…"

"Faith," interrupted Giles. "You two just spent hours at the police station, a good night is in order."

"I'm not working for the council anymore," Faith replied. "You can't…"

"It has nothing to do with the council," Giles interrupted. "Consider it a gift from a friend."

As Faith was about to open her mouth to protest again, Giles went on:

"If you don't accept, Tara will," he said. "She needs a good night's sleep."

Faith winced but nevertheless gave in.

"Okay, G-man," she said. "You won. And after all, I was beginning to be fed up with crappy motels."

She looked around her and showed a grimace of approval.

"Seems to be kinda neat," she stated. "I like it here."

Tara came back then and sat at her place, beside Giles.

"Listen to this, Blondie," Faith exclaimed. "Giles booked two rooms for us here."

Tara nodded and smiled.

"Great," she said simply.

"You two seem to get along well," Giles remarked.

"We got used to each other," Faith commented casually.

Giles smiled at Faith's demeanor. They remained together a long while, just quietly talking about the past few months, each of them trying to know what happened in the others' life. It was really late when they finally decided to go to bed.

Giles went with them to the lobby where the girls got their room keys. The Englishman hugged both girls – Faith quickly, Tara for a longer time – and left for his own accommodations.

"Be careful," he said before leaving. "And think about coming back to Cleveland someday."

* * *

Faith exited the bathroom of her room with a towel hanging on her shoulders and literally jumped on the king bed. She spread her arms and legs and smiled widely. The room was huge, the bed larger than any she ever saw. She had her own bathroom, a fridge and a television. The Slayer was as excited as a child discovering Disneyland as she rummaged in the fridge. She took out a can of beer and looked at it for a split second before deciding to go for it.

"A beer will be good," she said to herself.

She plopped onto the bed again and switched the TV on. Her attention drifted away from the screen several minutes later when she heard a slight tapping at the door.

"S'open," she shouted.

The door opened slowly and Tara appeared in the doorway. She wore her pajamas and carried her new witchcraft book under her arm.

"Hey," Faith greeted. "You ain't sleeping? It's late."

Tara looked embarrassed and she looked down at her feet as she replied.

"Well, it may sound weird to you, but I couldn't sleep," she explained.

"Missed your little Faith?" The Slayer chuckled.

"Well, kinda," admitted the witch.

Faith asked her to come in and Tara finally came in and closed the door behind her. She went up to the bed and Faith gestured for her to sit. The witch complied while Faith was crawling to the bottom of the bed and stretched her arm to the fridge.

"What do you want to drink?" She asked. "I've got beer, wine, alcohol, fruit juices, sodas. What'd you want?"

Tara wavered and looked around her and saw what Faith was drinking.

"A beer would be good," she answered.

"A beer for Blondie then," Faith said and she rolled back towards her with another can of beer.

She opened the can and handed it to the blonde.

"Let's drink to our freedom," she said, raising her can toward the witch.

Tara raised her can as well and the cans clinked softly.

"To our freedom," she repeated.

They both silently drank a few mouthfuls and Tara settled more comfortably on the bed beside Faith.

"So, how are you feeling?" The witch asked after a silence.

"I'm good," replied Faith, shrugging. "Giles told me I'll get all my strength back in a day or two. We have to be careful until then."

Tara nodded and drank again as Faith leaned against a giant pillow.

"Beautiful room," she commented. "I never saw a room this big and cool before. And believe me, I saw a lot of motel rooms."

"You used to live in motel rooms?" Tara asked.

Faith nodded thoughtfully and remained silent for a few seconds.

"Yeah," she finally replied. "Before going to jail, before the mayor, I used to live in crappy motel rooms."

"Well," Tara said. "All that time went by but there's not so much changed, right? You're still living in motel rooms."

Faith smiled, a half-bitter, half-warm smile.

"We may live in motel rooms lately," she responded. "But I see a great difference from before."

"What is it?" Tara asked. "You feel different because of all the redemption stuff? At peace with yourself? Slaying the good way? So, the crappy motel rooms feel less crappy now?"

Faith grinned at Tara's questions and assertions and shook her head.

"Well, you could say that. But that was not exactly what I was talking about. That's not the biggest point."

"Will you tell me what the biggest point is?" Tara asked quietly. "Or maybe I have to guess?" She added playfully.

"You can guess?" Faith chuckled. "I can give you three guesses if you want."

"Come on, Faith." Tara pressed. "Tell what you meant! What is the thing making things so different?"

Faith didn't reply immediately and drank new mouthfuls of her beer instead. Then, she shrugged casually and turned to look at Tara in the eye.

"You," she answered simply.

"I mean, I'm not alone." She added after a short silence. "And sharing a crappy motel room with someone you can think of as a friend is so much different from being alone in a crappy motel room thinking of the friends you'll never have."

Tara's mouth opened in surprise at the Slayer admission and she smiled shyly but brightly in response. She didn't say anything and Faith remained silent as well. They eventually looked away and their attention went back to the screen. When the beers were finished, Faith switched off the TV after glancing at her watch.

"It's three in the morning Blondie," she explained. "We should sleep now."

Faith slipped beneath her sheets under Tara's stare. The witch wasn't moving and looked down at her crossed legs.

"Is something wrong?" The Slayer asked.

"Well," Tara began, looking away from the brunette, discomfort obvious on her face. "I know it may sound stupid… but can I sleep with you tonight?"

Faith looked at her, puzzled and dumbfounded.

"Hmm, well…" she stammered hesitantly.

"Don't worry," Tara resumed in a firmer tone. "No mixed signals here. It's just… I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep alone… I'm…"

"Okay," interrupted Faith. "No mixed signals. Then it's okay."

Tara smiled gratefully to the Slayer and slipped under the cold sheets in turn.

"Like you're my type anyway," she grumbled as she lay down in the bed.

Faith rose on her elbows and turned to her, her look sharing surprise and annoyance.

"I thought you were into girls," she remarked. "It may have escaped your keen notice, but I'm a girl."

"Not my type of girl," Tara shot back.

"What do you mean 'not your type of girl'?" Faith replied in an offended tone. "I'm hot."

"And what?" Tara answered, turning her head slightly towards her. "Willow's so much hotter than you."

"What?" Faith replied, horrified. "There's no way Willow's hotter than me."

Faith switched the light off and fell back lying in the bed with a grimace of disgust. She raised the blanket up to her shoulders and listened to Tara's breathing for several minutes. The witch had fallen asleep. She turned her back to the blonde and grumbled to herself:

"There's no way Willow's hotter than me…"

* * *

_End of "Justice"_

_To be continued in "Dark deeds"_

_Please tell me what you thought about the episode _


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